I stumbled into this website http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/56285/outdoor-games which has a lot of wonderful outdoors larger then life game ideas for get togethers. I actually think we will plan some of these for my grand daughters second birthday in July. How cool would it be to have these games available for BBQs and family get togethers.
Memory Game:
12 X 12 thick card stock - you will want enough for 2 of each of 12 to 24 cards (depending on the ages of the children)
Stencils or stickers or transfers to paint on the card stock
Paint or spray paint to paint the stencils
paint the same stencil on 2 different card stocks so you have 2 of each card. Play as you would any memory game.
Object of the Game
The object of the game is to collect the most matching pairs. Players take turns flipping 2 cards over, if they do not match turn the cards face down again and the next player goes. If the cards do match pull them aside and pick another 2 cards.
__________________________________________________________________
Lawn Twister: (I think this is a great idea but I am not sure if we would be allowed to do this in a park - I would suggest food coloring or water colors and not pain althou grass that is painted certainly gets cut)
Cardboard box (to make stencil)
large pot to trace a circle
food colored water in a spray bottle (will meed to test this to see if the food color disappears as it dries) or alternatively spray paint - red, yellow, green, blue
Cut the circle out of the box. Spray paint 6 circles of each color on the lawn
I will have to think about how to make a spinner - any suggestions???
A variation of this could be to use 2 shower curtains machine sewn together with the dots painted on them.
______________________________________________________________________
Tic Tac Toe:
large white or clear shower curtain
colored masking tape
4 frisbees in 2 different colors
Use the tape to section the curtain into 3 lengthwise and 3 width wise (so 2 strips of tape running length wise and 2 running width wise.
Stand at a pre determined line and gently toss the frisbees as if you were playing regular tic tac toe.
______________________________________________________________________________
Clown Shoot:
Several colored page size pictures of clowns (6 seems reasonable)
Sticks or stakes for each picture
Water guns
Food coloring to color the water
The game is as simple as using the water guns to shoot the clowns. ***Not sure how this would pan out***
__________________________________________________________________
Dominoes: This is a super cool idea and my grand son loves dominoes, however, using blocks of wood could make for a heavy game to tote around. I wonder if you can get and use rectangle pieces of styrofoam or just sheets of plywood
There are 28 dominoes in a set
28 rectangles
stain to stain and seal the wood if using wood
spray sealant if using styrofoam
polyurethane or acrylic sealer
large dot stickers or paint and a circle template to add the circles to the ends of the dominoes
I had to look up how may dots are on each domino http://www.domino-games.com/faq/How-Many-Tiles-And-Dots-Are-In-A-Dominoes-Set.html here is the link to save you the trouble.
Maybe you can use cork that is cut into rectangles and sealed.
How to play Dominoes:
Turn the tiles face down on the table, then move them around with your hands, being careful not to flip any over. Once the tiles have been sufficiently mixed, scoot the pile to one side so that your play area is clear. The collection of shuffled tiles is often called the "bone yard," since one of the most common nicknames for dominoes is “bones.” Take seven dominoes from the bone yard and stand them on the table so that your opponent can't see their faces.
Lay the first domino. It is customary for the first domino to be a double tile (a tile with the same number on both ends), if possible; otherwise, any tile may be used. The orientation of the domino doesn't matter. Take turns adding dominoes. Using your hand of seven tiles, add one domino to either narrow end of the first domino. You can only add a domino to the board if it has a number that matches a number on one open end of the domino board. For example, if the first tile is a pair of 4s, you can only play a domino that has one end marked with a 4. Place the dominoes together end on end to show that they are matched. Using your hand of seven tiles, add one domino to either narrow end of the first domino. You can only add a domino to the board if it has a number that matches a number on one open end of the domino board. For example, if the first tile is a pair of 4s, you can only play a domino that has one end marked with a 4. Place the dominoes together end on end to show that they are matched Once the end of a domino has been placed on the end of another domino, those ends are closed and no further dominoes can be attached to them. There are never more than two ends open anywhere on the board. These are always the outside ends of the domino chain. If you can't play onto either end of the board, you must pass your turn. If you are placing a double tile, it is customary (but not necessary) to set the tile perpendicular to the tile you are playing onto. Regardless of orientation, only one side of the double tile (the side opposite the touching side) is considered free. If you run out of space, it is acceptable to play a domino onto the appropriate side of the open tile so that the line of dominoes turns. This has no strategic value, and is only done to save space. End the round and award points. Whoever plays all 7 of his or her dominoes first wins the round, and receives points equal to the total of all the dots on the opponent's remaining tiles. If neither player is able to finish, both players reveal their hands and add up the total of tiles in each one. Whoever has the lowest total wins the round, and receives points equal to the difference between his or her total and the opponent's total. In the case of a tie, the victory goes to whichever player has the tile with the smallest sum total. Whenever a set number of total points (usually 100 or 200) is reached, the game is over.
___________________________________________________________________________
Giant Kerplunk:
Giant tomato cage
tent pit balls
dowels
determine the length needed to fit through the tomato cages 20 to 30 (Can use PVC pipe)
Saran wrap to wrap around the top of the cages where to balls sit (so they dont fall out)
Insert the tomato cage into the ground. Insert all of the poles. Once there are no gaps in the poles dump the balls on top of the poles. lay as usual.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Pick Up Sticks:
24 to 36 bamboo sticks (you want the number of stakes to be divisible by the number of colors you want to have, plus 1 black stick. Plus the black stick…33 stakes.)
wooden dowels would work as well
4 different colors of paint
__________________________________________________________________________
Washers Game :(horse shoes without the fuss)
2 small wooden boxes
2 large tin coffee cans (the cans need to fit inside of the boxes)
2 large screws to screw the cans onto the wood
8 large washers (paint to paint in 2 different colors)
How to Play:
Set the boxes about 20' apart. Two people stand at each box (or if playing with just two, stand together at the same box) and toss the washers to the box. If you make it in the can, 3 pts. If you make the box, 1pt. If your washer lands flat on the edge of the 2x4s, 5pts. And if your washer rings the screw inside the can, game over, you win! Opponents scores cancel each other out. So if you ring the box, and they ring the can, you have 0 and they have 2. Pick and number to play to and go!
______________________________________________________________________
Ball and cup game :variation (brilliant idea):
Several small international delight creamer bottles (washed out, cleaned, label peeled, and painted.
String
Small Ball – I used a ping pong ball
Screw Eye Hook
Spray paint or something to decorate the bottle
Knife
Clean the bottle and remove the label from the bottle. Cut the very bottom off of the bottle. (A serrated knife works well)
To attach the string to the ball, poke a small hole in a ping pong ball with a sharp object. Then screw in the eye hook. If the eye hook doesn’t seem like it is strongly attached, then unscrew it and add a dab of glue to the hole and re-insert. Tie one end of the string onto the eye hook. To attach the string to the bottle, take the cap off the bottle and open the cap. Insert one end of the string through the opening and tie on the side. Close the knotted portion into the bottle cap and put the cap back on the bottle. Again use a bit of glue to seal the lid shut.
The other awesome idea is to use 2 of these containers without the string attached and use the ping pong balls as a ball toss.
__________________________________________________________________
Memory Game:
12 X 12 thick card stock - you will want enough for 2 of each of 12 to 24 cards (depending on the ages of the children)
Stencils or stickers or transfers to paint on the card stock
Paint or spray paint to paint the stencils
paint the same stencil on 2 different card stocks so you have 2 of each card. Play as you would any memory game.
Object of the Game
The object of the game is to collect the most matching pairs. Players take turns flipping 2 cards over, if they do not match turn the cards face down again and the next player goes. If the cards do match pull them aside and pick another 2 cards.
__________________________________________________________________
Lawn Twister: (I think this is a great idea but I am not sure if we would be allowed to do this in a park - I would suggest food coloring or water colors and not pain althou grass that is painted certainly gets cut)
Cardboard box (to make stencil)
large pot to trace a circle
food colored water in a spray bottle (will meed to test this to see if the food color disappears as it dries) or alternatively spray paint - red, yellow, green, blue
Cut the circle out of the box. Spray paint 6 circles of each color on the lawn
I will have to think about how to make a spinner - any suggestions???
A variation of this could be to use 2 shower curtains machine sewn together with the dots painted on them.
______________________________________________________________________
Tic Tac Toe:
large white or clear shower curtain
colored masking tape
4 frisbees in 2 different colors
Use the tape to section the curtain into 3 lengthwise and 3 width wise (so 2 strips of tape running length wise and 2 running width wise.
Stand at a pre determined line and gently toss the frisbees as if you were playing regular tic tac toe.
______________________________________________________________________________
Clown Shoot:
Several colored page size pictures of clowns (6 seems reasonable)
Sticks or stakes for each picture
Water guns
Food coloring to color the water
The game is as simple as using the water guns to shoot the clowns. ***Not sure how this would pan out***
__________________________________________________________________
Dominoes: This is a super cool idea and my grand son loves dominoes, however, using blocks of wood could make for a heavy game to tote around. I wonder if you can get and use rectangle pieces of styrofoam or just sheets of plywood
There are 28 dominoes in a set
28 rectangles
stain to stain and seal the wood if using wood
spray sealant if using styrofoam
polyurethane or acrylic sealer
large dot stickers or paint and a circle template to add the circles to the ends of the dominoes
I had to look up how may dots are on each domino http://www.domino-games.com/faq/How-Many-Tiles-And-Dots-Are-In-A-Dominoes-Set.html here is the link to save you the trouble.
Maybe you can use cork that is cut into rectangles and sealed.
How to play Dominoes:
Turn the tiles face down on the table, then move them around with your hands, being careful not to flip any over. Once the tiles have been sufficiently mixed, scoot the pile to one side so that your play area is clear. The collection of shuffled tiles is often called the "bone yard," since one of the most common nicknames for dominoes is “bones.” Take seven dominoes from the bone yard and stand them on the table so that your opponent can't see their faces.
Lay the first domino. It is customary for the first domino to be a double tile (a tile with the same number on both ends), if possible; otherwise, any tile may be used. The orientation of the domino doesn't matter. Take turns adding dominoes. Using your hand of seven tiles, add one domino to either narrow end of the first domino. You can only add a domino to the board if it has a number that matches a number on one open end of the domino board. For example, if the first tile is a pair of 4s, you can only play a domino that has one end marked with a 4. Place the dominoes together end on end to show that they are matched. Using your hand of seven tiles, add one domino to either narrow end of the first domino. You can only add a domino to the board if it has a number that matches a number on one open end of the domino board. For example, if the first tile is a pair of 4s, you can only play a domino that has one end marked with a 4. Place the dominoes together end on end to show that they are matched Once the end of a domino has been placed on the end of another domino, those ends are closed and no further dominoes can be attached to them. There are never more than two ends open anywhere on the board. These are always the outside ends of the domino chain. If you can't play onto either end of the board, you must pass your turn. If you are placing a double tile, it is customary (but not necessary) to set the tile perpendicular to the tile you are playing onto. Regardless of orientation, only one side of the double tile (the side opposite the touching side) is considered free. If you run out of space, it is acceptable to play a domino onto the appropriate side of the open tile so that the line of dominoes turns. This has no strategic value, and is only done to save space. End the round and award points. Whoever plays all 7 of his or her dominoes first wins the round, and receives points equal to the total of all the dots on the opponent's remaining tiles. If neither player is able to finish, both players reveal their hands and add up the total of tiles in each one. Whoever has the lowest total wins the round, and receives points equal to the difference between his or her total and the opponent's total. In the case of a tie, the victory goes to whichever player has the tile with the smallest sum total. Whenever a set number of total points (usually 100 or 200) is reached, the game is over.
___________________________________________________________________________
Giant Kerplunk:
Giant tomato cage
tent pit balls
dowels
determine the length needed to fit through the tomato cages 20 to 30 (Can use PVC pipe)
Saran wrap to wrap around the top of the cages where to balls sit (so they dont fall out)
Insert the tomato cage into the ground. Insert all of the poles. Once there are no gaps in the poles dump the balls on top of the poles. lay as usual.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Pick Up Sticks:
24 to 36 bamboo sticks (you want the number of stakes to be divisible by the number of colors you want to have, plus 1 black stick. Plus the black stick…33 stakes.)
wooden dowels would work as well
4 different colors of paint
__________________________________________________________________________
Washers Game :(horse shoes without the fuss)
2 small wooden boxes
2 large tin coffee cans (the cans need to fit inside of the boxes)
2 large screws to screw the cans onto the wood
8 large washers (paint to paint in 2 different colors)
How to Play:
Set the boxes about 20' apart. Two people stand at each box (or if playing with just two, stand together at the same box) and toss the washers to the box. If you make it in the can, 3 pts. If you make the box, 1pt. If your washer lands flat on the edge of the 2x4s, 5pts. And if your washer rings the screw inside the can, game over, you win! Opponents scores cancel each other out. So if you ring the box, and they ring the can, you have 0 and they have 2. Pick and number to play to and go!
______________________________________________________________________
Ball and cup game :variation (brilliant idea):
Several small international delight creamer bottles (washed out, cleaned, label peeled, and painted.
String
Small Ball – I used a ping pong ball
Screw Eye Hook
Spray paint or something to decorate the bottle
Knife
Clean the bottle and remove the label from the bottle. Cut the very bottom off of the bottle. (A serrated knife works well)
To attach the string to the ball, poke a small hole in a ping pong ball with a sharp object. Then screw in the eye hook. If the eye hook doesn’t seem like it is strongly attached, then unscrew it and add a dab of glue to the hole and re-insert. Tie one end of the string onto the eye hook. To attach the string to the bottle, take the cap off the bottle and open the cap. Insert one end of the string through the opening and tie on the side. Close the knotted portion into the bottle cap and put the cap back on the bottle. Again use a bit of glue to seal the lid shut.
The other awesome idea is to use 2 of these containers without the string attached and use the ping pong balls as a ball toss.
__________________________________________________________________